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February 2020 .PROMO

Professional Inspiration for Promotional Products End Buyers

Jim & Cathy Christopherson jchristopherson@americanbus.com www.americanbus.com 218-600-8682

Contact Your Promotional Products Distributor Shown on the C

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tents Con February 2020

11 SHAMEFUL? MEGXIT MERCH HITS RETAIL 18 TOP TRADE SHOW IDEAS 2020 28 RECYCLED T-SHIRTS HIT PROMO 34 NEW YEAR...NEW PRODUCTS 38 HOT NEW TRENDS FOR 2020 56 SOCKS & SHOES GO BIG TIME 60 RETAIL BRANDS INFLUENCE PROMO 64 NEW ITEMS...REINVENTED ITEMS 68 PHASE ONE TARIFFS EASE PROMO COSTS

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TECH PROMO PRODUCTS

.PROMO

.PROMO

Phase One Tariff Relief Will Ease Promo Costs...Phase Two Will Be Tougher, (see page 67 for details).

Shameful?

Megxit Merchandise Makes Debut By our count there are over 250 items oered by Amazon featuring Megxit merchandise. That’s just the tip of the iceberg in terms of promotional products.

Talk about the power of branding! Whether good or bad in this case it just shows you how powerful branded items are.

Seven Stock Designs Customs Designs Available in 14 Plastic Colors 100% USA Made All with Raised Graphics

Five Year Tags for Each Plague Available FREE Upon Request.

Combination Hanger & Easel on the Back for Display Options.

Now is the time to begin planning membership recognition and renewals. Our five year tag option is included in the price of each plaque offers an affordable way to raise membership awareness and thank your organization’s valued supporters.

Bringing You the Best fo

or Over 25 Years

Top Trade Show Id

We Scoured the Promotional Products Biggest Shows of buzz about recycleable clothing Apparel Lots made from plastic bottles, hemp...and lots more. Show reveals Corporate Promo Buyers demand retail style wearables and get lots of options at great prices. New decorating options for garments presented new and exciting logoing options.

Biodegradable

Sustainability

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Retro

Canabis

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In order to keep our planet blue, we’re happy to observe that eco-friendly pro ucts were abundantly available at the manufacturers trade shows. Nearly e promo maker had some sort of eco-friendly or eco-conscious product display.

Retro products were always available in the promotional products industry. This year it seems there’s an even bigger resurgence. Products like radios, blue tooth devices, speakers and more. The only thing missing is a gramophone.

Canabis is finally going mainstream and that’s a great thing. There are so many qualities of the canabis plant yet to be explored in terms of products it can sustainably make. Right now there’s about 1,000 canabis products sold legally everywhere in America.

Just about any promo pr degradeable” signature i corporate buyers in huge pens to apparel the tren ing and there were many that featured biodegrad ucts...about double from last year.

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Wheat Straw Polypropylene is biodegradable, sustainable & renewable.

Lasts for many years, Will degrade in as little as 1 year in landfill. Made up of 20-30% reclaimed wheat stock plastic.

SanMar’s District Re-Tee

One of the new eco-friendly items in their product line, the Espresso Pen features a barrel and trim made with plastic that includes 30% recycled coffee grounds.

Tekweld This retro lunchbox-bottle combo features a PVC double vacuum formed insert that snugly fits 2 of our 12oz Rubberized Finish Stemless Wine Glasses. This sleek look will leave your audience praising your brand for days to come.

Goldstar Pen Co.

Your Packaging

Should Be As Impressive As What’s In It.

STOCK SHAPES

FEEL THE DISTANCE. FEEL THE CONTROL.

Titleist TruFeel is the softest Titleist golf ball with low spin fo long distance and excellent control into and around the gre

Express-A-Button

SanMar Introduces Tee Made f People who are following the promotional products industry say many companies are joining SanMar in manufacturing recycled wearables. SanMar is a $500 million a year clothing manufacturer, one of the industry’s best.

Why all of a sudden are companies like SanMar looking towards alternative raw materials? Most will tell you its because they are genuinely concerned about our environment. Head-to-Toe, one of our advertisters, is as well.

Can you expect to see a big rush for recycled materials in wearables? No...but it will continue to rise as new technologies are invented to process raw materials into soft subtle clothingat competitive prices SanMar offers the District Re-T which comes in 9 colors, male or female and is well made with taping from shoulder to shoulder.

You, as our End Buyers, can help our environment by requesting recycled wearables. The more you do so the more products will be developed as demand always drives manufacturers to make what you want.

Let’s keep our blue planet blue...order recycled promotional products as much as you can. There are a ton of them out there...just ask us.

from Recycled Materials

New Year...New Every year in January the promotional products industry gets really busy and there are a flurry of trade shows. The shows are meant to introduce many exciting new products. And not to ever disappoint, there are hundreds of new promotional products fitting that bill from some very creative minds.

Ad

3M devised an entire new outdoor line of Post-It Notes & Sticky Notes that work great on indoor surfaces like computers, walls and tables, but if you need to keep a reminder in a less climate-controlled environment, you can always use Post-It Extreme Notes. They hold up on outdoor surfaces and in winds up to 40 mph. Sticky stuff!

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No wash tshirts...boon or bust? These are t-shirts that are marketed as needing less frequent washing due to their odorresistant and moisture-wicking properties.

Instead of relegating them to the hamper after one wear just shake them out. For the most part, it worked: Throughout a month Sweat of testing, we never detected foul aromas.

Management And,& yes, our noses work.

Removal Technology

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Spork & Hat Holder

When a Promotional Products Buyer has the mental clarity to see creative possibilities like this and think outside the box, it's a big win.

The folks behind this wet oor sign at the Toronto Aquarium had the vision to make even visiting the bathroom a fun occasion.

That is not an easy task!

ENOUGH P STRAWS TO WRAP A THE EARTH’S CIRCU 2.5 TIMES A DAY! US CONSUMPTION =

It’s Time We Start Taking Care of Mother Earth

Promote Your Company or Cause With Logoed Metal Straws

PLASTIC AROUND UMFERENCE

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2020

The VERY BEST SelďŹ e Stick oers multifunctional operation...hold it with your hand or spread out the base and take a group photo with you in it. Great logo opportunities.

Stain Imaging

All Over Print

Socks & Shoes Make i Custom socks and sneakers were big in the promo and retail worlds for 2019...really big. But come 2023 experts say the global footwear market will be around $11 billion. These same experts believe that the rising demand for high end luxourious socks will blossom too. So what better place to advertise your logo and get some really “eye catching” ad impressions?

As you know the sneaker culture has been growing steadily for many years now, but socks were a little behind. As this culture of hot looking sneakers grew it was inevitable for socks to take their turn in the limelight. Somehow it just wasn’t right to wear plain white socks with a really cool looking sneaker. Now there are literally hundreds of different styles you can choose from, ALL with you logo on them.

And in addition you can also get different materials whereas before it was pretty limited to cotton. Want really upscale high priced socks?

Well those are available too. Maybe your next golf tournament would be a great place to make sure all your attendees are advertising your brand while walking around.

Plus, customized sneakers (on the higher $ side of promotional products) REALLY attract the public’s eye. Think about it, you’re walking down the street and spot someone wearing a super cool logoed shoe and you almost stare at it. Want ad impressions? Socks can do the job.

Socks & are No Prom

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& Sneakers Longer a mo Fad

We really have to hand it to our feet...regardless of size or shape they have inspired a revolution and evolution in the sock market. Whereas just a few years ago there was virtually little selection, now there’s a ton to choose from and they are pretty cool.

That’s really good news for Promotional Products Buyers because getting the most amount of ad impressions is frequently linked to a rising demand...in fact a craving for their novelty...and socks are showing up big in their ability to do that.

What are some of the advantages to sock promotions? First, they are unisex. Next the category of using wearables for promo campagns is bigger than any other promotional market.

Generally the price point for socks is right. One size usually ďŹ ts most of your customers, and they are a great alternative to t-shirts when you have a tight budget and want a wearable item for your promotion.

New Items...Reinvente High Caliber Line has come up with a line of reusable water bottles including some cool looking collapsible ones! With many millennials living in small urban apartments it’s “efficiently” sized. Click to see more of the High Caliber Video on stainless steel mug production.

https://youtu.be/fUBo8MZdXTI

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auxhall Bluetooth Speaker Wireless Charging Pad by High Caliber Line

How Cool is This?

Just when you thought you’d seen everything, Popsocket will surprise you. Everyone knows Popsockets are one of the coolest--and most popular--cell phone holders, but now its also being sold as part of a “koozie” style drink holder. And truthfully it makes a little sense.

Think about it...you’re walking along with your regular koozie and it can easily slip out of your hand. Being able to wrap your finger above and below the Popsocket makes a big difference in

the balance and feel of your favorite beverage. And because its a brand item it will be a highly desired promo product which will get you a ton of ad impressions. Plus its just so cool all your customers will want one...and when that happens your brand gets seen everywhere.

It’s available for 12oz cans and coffee cups.

A reinvented item with a little Genius.

Phase One Trade Deal Levies and other tariffs imposed on China-made goods during the past two years have increased the prices on a gamut of products we sell to you. Now we have great news...and that is prices are heading down; some tariffs are being rolled back. Here’s the scoop.

First, the tariffs are being rolled back because its an election year cycle.

Next, the eight part deal USA made with China includes commitments from China to buy $200 billion in US imports over the next two years. For the record the USA did not reap any significant gains from these tariffs.

The $200 billion in US exports was about what it was before the tariffs were enacted. Only the US Treasury and benefitted from these tariffs with billions of US Citizens paying more tax.

Here’s some good news. The US forced several new provisions preventing Chinese companies from knocking off our technologies. That was a huge thing. When technology is stolen it makes it more expensive in the regular marketplace because the maker can’t count on the revenues they might have gotten while selling to China. But that’s nothing compared to the monetary damage pirating does so this is a big win.

As we all know the promotional products industry was affected by the tariffs and its a welcome relief for pricing to be rolled back, which will happen as the tariffs de-escalate.

Best of all you--our clients--will start to feel less of an impact from the tariff trade war and you’ll have fewer worries about meeting your budgets.

Finally...the Phase Two Deal is where things will really heat up. These negotiations will be centered on difficult and very controversial issues that Bejing’s not really ready to move on.

Finally...Pricing Reli

Reduces Tariffs

ief is On the Way for the Promotional Products Industry

Contact Your Promotional Products Distribu

utor on the Front Page of IdentityEdge

2020 PROMO PRODUCT

Tech and Desktop Products

TS

s Rule

Super Bowl Promos Score Big

Retro Lunch Boxes

P e r r y E llis B a ck packs

Perry Ellis logoed Sustainable Straws